


Wiccans, Wolves, and the Winchesters

by indigo_skye5



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Brothers, Bunker, Chapter titles a song, Covens, Demons, Demons Are Assholes, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Hunting, Magic, Magical Realism, Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Older Brothers, Protective Sam Winchester, Road Trip, Romance, Sam Winchester/OC - Freeform, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, Wicca, Wiccans, Witches, Wolves, wiccan!reader, wolf - Freeform, wolf!brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:46:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24124588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigo_skye5/pseuds/indigo_skye5
Summary: Astraea “Rae” Everston is a Wiccan with a fairly normal life, till all of it goes to shit and the Winchester boys stumble right into it. Parents dead and her twin brother Arden cursed, she needs their help, and maybe she and Sam find something along the way.
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s), Sam Winchester/Reader, Sam Winchester/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Where Does the Good Go?

**Author's Note:**

> I have fallen in love with Supernatural while in quarantine, soo of course I have to start writing.-Indigo

_“In this life we will never truly be apart, for we grew to the same beat of out mother’s heart.”_ -Daphne Fandrich 

  
  
  
  
  


We were screwed. So screwed that a witch had come to kill me. So screwed that I wasn’t sure what the hell we _could_ do except for letting Arden run for help. But let me back up. I need to start at the beginning. 

It was the middle of July in our sleepy beach town in California. Whale Point, was a small tourist stop but was sweet little place we called home. Full of beach cottages and mom’n’pop shops. I was born and raised along with my brother and my parents. Our family had been there for generations. But our family was known as the black sheep’s of the town.

Two hundred years ago, when witchcraft was outlawed, our ancestors fled here for safety. Our family had been practicing Wiccans for as far back as we could track down. Present day, not much has changed. Our dad held the family name with honor, and used our gifts for the good of the people of Whale Point. Our mom, a new aged Wiccan, learned and soon opened up a small bakery that doubled as a “natural homeopathic,” shop. I worked there with her gladly learning everything I could from her whether it was about baked goods or ritual spells. 

My brother, Arden, however, wasn’t so keen on the Wiccan life. He preferred his job as a mechanic, and despite what Dad grumbled about it, we were still proud. Being the little sister I was, even though he was older by 12 minuets, I didn’t care. He was my big brother, as long as he showed up for me, we were good. 

Now that the info dump is out of the way, let’s get to the actual beginning of this shit. It was late afternoon at the bakery. The orange glow from the sunset was prevalent in the shop from the large windows at the front. The place was filled with dark wooden tables, and all of the walls had rows of different herbs, supplies, books and everything you could need to practice Wicca or witchcraft, though we left out the stuff for the darkness of it. Dad thought that it would be a bit dangerous to let the general public buy the things we were taught to never use. 

Still. I was running the place alone with only a few regulars still lingering. The tourists had stopped for the day. Either hanging out at the beach or heading back to their hotels or rented out cottages to watch the sunset. I just stood at the counter and worked on cleaning while winding down for the day. Then I heard the bells at the door. 

I looked up to see my brother Arden. “Hey Rae.” He said while still in his mechanic jump suit. His hands and face were still twinged with grease, and his suit was forever stained. Still I smiled brightly in seeing my favorite person. 

“Hey. You're off work already?” I asked. 

“Nah.” He glanced over the regulars, “I’ve got a late night ahead of me. Just came for supplies.” 

“Let me guess, coffee and a couple pastries?” 

He rolled his eyes at me. “Yeah...two coffees. Nate is working with me on it.” 

“Got it.” I began his simple order and started to chat with him. “Who’s the client this time.” 

“One of the motels manager’s blew his engine. Wants it done ASAP. What are you gonna do?” 

I handed him the coffees and the extra pastries. “Could be worse.” 

The bells rang again. This time was our mom. “Hey mama.” Arden said with a smile. He was a groan man, but he never stopped calling her that. Who am I to judge I liked calling her that too.  
  
But she barely responded. She seemed a little spooked. Her hair was still wild with curls and her eyes just crinkled in the way that you knew she had always smiled. She was just off. 

“Is something wrong?” I asked. 

When she looked at me she put on a fake smile. “It’s nothing. You know what? Why don’t you take the rest of the shift off, I’ll close up.” 

Arden and I exchanged some concerned looks. “You sure? I thought you didn’t like being alone in the shop?” 

“It’s fine. Dad is coming in a little while to help out. Go have some fun relax. I’ve got it here.” 

I didn’t want to fight her on it. I had been there all day, and my feet were tired. “Okay then.” I took my apron off, and asked Arden, “hey bro can you give me a lift. My feet are killing me.” 

“Sure. I’ll wait.” He proceeded with starting on one of the danishes I gave him as I went to the back room and grabbed my purse. 

We left after giving mama a kiss on the cheek and jumped into Arden’s green Corvette. Then I asked, “okay, that was weird.” 

He chuckled. “Uhh we’re Everstons. We’re always weird.” 

“I mean more than usual.” 

“Maybe she and dad want to _do it_ there.” 

I laughed, “dude! Come one gross.” 

“Well what other reason would they let you off early.” 

“Good question.” 

Not long after we left Main Street, where the shop was located, Arden dropped me off and I went into my little cottage. It was a one bedroom, tiny little place painted pale green and was a five minute walk to the beach, close enough to hear the waves from atop the cliff it sat. It was perfect. 

I turned on the lights and threw off my shoes. Then I found a note. It was in my mom’s handwriting. I wasn’t surprised by it’s sudden appearance. She had a key. I was expecting a reminder about work or grocery list or something, but what it said only worried me more. 

_Lock your doors. Put sigils out. Sleep with your gun. Stay home tonight. We’ve got this. We love you. -Mom and Dad_. 

Cold ran through my veins. This wasn’t the first time I was being told something like this. They had an entanglement with a few witches some years back. And there was another time with a misunderstanding by a couple of hunters. They caused all sorts of trouble.

 _They just want me safe_. I thought. 

Still, this felt so different. It felt like there was danger. But I was known to overthink things. _It’s an overreaction I’m sure. Just put some sigils out. That’s all I have to do_. So that’s what I did. 

I pulled out my personal book of shadows and found the old section on protection sigils. I had penned that in not long after I started learning about and practicing Wicca. I was probably ten. 

I took out some moon ashes I had in a jar in my kitchen, added some water, and proceeded to paint a protection sigil on every entrance. Every window and door had a protection sigil and blessing over it. No one will come in or out with magic. My nerves calmed a little when I was finished.

Still I was exhausted. So I changed out of my clothes and slipped into bed. I listened to the note and kept my gun next to me. As much as we all believed and used magic, a good bullet or two was just as good in my book. 

…

Around three am, my cell phone woke me up from a deep sleep. I picked it up and let the screen illuminate the room. It was Arden. “The hell Arden?” I said in a raspy voice. 

“Rae. Somethings wrong. Call the cops. There’s someone here and-“ 

A grunt and the smashing of glass could be heard from the line. “Arden?” Panic flooded my heart. “Arden?!” The line was dead. I turned on a light and got dressed. The first thing I did was call the sheriff. Thankfully they had at least three officers on duty after hours. They said they would check it out as soon as possible, as they were responding to a local fire. This was a small town after all. They could take their sweet time. 

I went to my car and called mom but she didn’t answer. I called dad. No answer. I sped down the street only to make a hard stop with the fire trucks in the small street. I looked up at where they were fighting the fire. 

My heart dropped. It was our shop. The windows were smashed out and engulfed in flame. It was gone. Everything. I ran towards a fireman. “Where are my parents?” 

“Ma’am I need you to stay back.” 

“My parents own the place. Where are they!?” I shrieked. “Where are they?” 

…

They were gone. After the fire was put out, the firemen told me that they found two bodies. From their ID’s they were clearly my parents. After being told that, I couldn’t believe it. Instead I sobbed. I sobbed and cried and cried. I kept asking why this had happened. 

After I calmed down, the Sheriff, yes the actual sheriff, found me. “Ma’am. Your the one who called about Arden Everston?” 

“Yes. Did you find him?” I squeaked out. 

“No ma’am. He appears to be missing.” That’s when I blacked out.

The next thing I remember was that I was in a hospital bed. 

I sat up slowly to see a nurse come into my room. “Hi.” She said sweetly. “Your at the hospital. I’m sure you have-“

“Where’s my brother? Where are my parents? I asked. Hoping it all was some kind of fever dream. When her face fell, I knew...I just knew. 

...

The next few days were a blur. My parents were dead. I could hardly believe it was true. They were here and then they were just...gone. And my brother, as far as anyone knew he was gone and a suspect for arson. It broke my heart. I was discharged from the hospital not long after I woke up. Only to be asked question after question from the sheriff. 

I just turned numb. It was crazy. I had no one to turn to. Everyone who I loved was either dead or gone in the wind. I had no work to go to. I had nothing. A week after the fire, my parents' bodies were released by the coroner. Thankfully, I had a family friend.

Farrah Johnson. A close friend to my mom. Basically my grandmother. She’d bake me and my brother cookies as kids while babysitting us to give our parents a break. After all of this, she helped with getting all in order and even kicking out a sheriff or two when the questions were too much. I was glad that she was in my corner. 

It had been seven days since that night. Seven days since Arden went missing. And I couldn’t think of how or why this had happened. I basically locked myself in my cottage. Keeping everyone out as I finally let the grief come over me. I lost two parents, and now I was thinking I lost my twin brother. 

I cried myself to sleep thinking that I should have gone to them. Been with them. Protect them from whoever did this to our family. Then I woke the next morning, to knocking on my front door. I rubbed my eyes from the morning sunlight and pulled on my robe. Then I went to my front door. 

I left the chain on and opened it. There stood two men, one with short hair and green eyes and the other who was very tall and long brown hair, in suits showing me FBI badges. “Hi ma’am. This is agent Harrison and I’m agent Hamil. We’re here to talk about your brother.” 


	2. Hold On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaining some new friends and enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is extra long. But enjoyed writing the Winchesters, though I’m still figuring them out.-Indigo

_ “You may not end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you were meant to be…” -Unknown  _

  
  
  
  


I raised my eyebrows through the opening of the door. They looked at me with all seriousness. But then I saw their car. A black Impala. Gorgeous car. I knew Arden would be drooling all over it. No FBI agent would bring such a thing with him on an investigation. It’s too showy. 

“FBI?” I asked with scrutiny. 

The tall one, Agent Harrison as he was called, proceeded to speak. “Yes. We were told your Arden Everston’s twin sister.” 

I closed the door and took a breath.  _ Just talk to them and they’ll leave _ . I undid the chain and opened it fully. “Come on in. Hope you boys like coffee.” 

I let them walk in as I turned away and went straight to the kitchen. I started up my old pot and realized what time it was. Eleven thirty.  _ If dad was here he would have my ass _ . The thought made my stomach churn. I missed him. All of them. 

Then the short agent spoke up. “So miss Everston-“ 

I turned towards them and offered them seats at my kitchen table. “My first name is Astraea. But my friends call me Rae. What questions do you want me to answer?” 

They both seemed a little off. Clearly looking for any answer they could find. The taller one started simply. “Where were you when you last saw your parents and your brother?” 

“I was at the bakery. My mom came in and let me take the rest of the afternoon off. My brother was there by coincidence.” The shorter man perked up at that. Paying no mind, I continued, “He gave me a ride home and went back to the mechanics.” 

“Why was he there?” 

“He said he had to work late with his coworker. Nate I think. They had a car to work on. Arden was there getting coffee and stuff.” 

The shorter one proceeded with. “Was that the last time you spoke with him.” 

I shifted in my chair. “No. Later that night, around three am, he called me.” 

The tall one spoke up. “What did he say?” 

I swallowed the bile that hung in the back of my mouth. “He was scared. He told me to call the sheriff and said that someone was there. Then I heard glass shattering the line went dead. That’s when I left to try to get my parents and I found the shop in the middle of a fire.” 

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He said to me. That’s when I noticed his eyes. The hazel was pretty and all, but something about them screamed puppy dog eyes. It was sweet, comforting almost. The sentiment felt genuine from him. 

“Thank you.” The pot was done brewing so I poured myself some. As well as the two agents. “We still have to figure out the funeral.” 

“I’m sure you're not going to want the church.” I looked up to see the shorter agent pointing towards the back door. I still had a protection sigil on it. I must have missed it when I was cleaning them off. 

I looked back at them and spoke quickly, trying to keep their judgement at bay. “I’m a practicing Wiccan. My whole family is. And before you ask, no we’re not Devil worshipers.” 

“Wasn’t going to.” Said the taller agent. Still by their exchange of looks, they looked more suspicious than ever. “Why do you have that up?” 

My mouth went dry. “My parents left me a note. They said to...to put protection sigils up...the night that they-“ I fought tears. 

“Did it say anything else?” 

“Just not to worry. But that’s all I could do.” 

…

They finally left after I finished telling them all that I knew. I had a good suspicion that they weren’t the FBI. But I let it slide. They could be a lot worse, and I didn’t want to put that on their radars. They left me a card to call and seemed satisfied that I wasn’t the person they could use for answers for whatever they were investigating. 

As they left, thunder had started rolling in from the distance. A summer storm was brewing. I went inside and poured another cup of coffee. I got dressed in a t shirt and jeans. I just sat on my porch drinking coffee as the storm came. 

I had always found peace in storms. The way nature came into our lives like she owns the place, although in my opinion she always did, and showed her power always made me think of how fragile it all was. Sitting there allowed me to try to wrap my head around my family being gone. 

Then I heard a small bang. It came from the side of my house where I had my metal trash cans. My heart started to race. I set my mug down as I got up slowly. Then there was another bang and some scratching. I walked towards the end of my porch, where I could stick my head out to see what was rummaging in my trash can. 

I stood there frozen. As much as I wanted to take a look and deal whatever it was, my body didn’t want me to. I was terrified of what was around the corner.  _ Another witch? An animal? A Monster _ ? Those thoughts whirled around my head like a carousel. 

Then with a moment of courage, I looked hopeing that it was nothing. I stuck my head out from underneath the roof and into the heavy rain fall. As my hair grew wet, a single raccoon look up at me. I sighed with relief. “Get out of there please. There’s nothing there.” 

Despite my plea the little creature just continued to rummage through the empty can. It reminded me how empty I felt. No matter how much peace I could get from nature I was still clawing at nothing. 

Then I heard a whine behind me. I quickly turned around and my heart wanted to leap out of my chest. My eyes grew wide. Standing before me was this large black dog. _No dog_ , my head corrected. _Wolf_. 

I grasped the railing behind myself and braced myself for its attack. But it never came. It just stared at me. It had beautiful amber eyes. Eyes that reminded me of Arden. A few tears rolled down my cheek as I missed my brother. It felt like I was facing death himself, and I just missed my brother. 

Still the wolf just stood there. Then I noticed the blood. It was wounded. He whined again and stepped forward. My heart broke for the creature. “Do you need help?” I asked it. 

I didn’t expect an answer. But it just sat like a dog waiting for a treat. I crept forward, not wanting to startle it. I knew how wounded animals act when they're scared. I knelt down so I could take a closer, but cautious, look at him. He looked scared. It seemed that his eyes were pleading for me to help him.

Then I carefully and slowly put my hand out. I didn’t reach for him, I only got close for him to sniff me. He didn’t bother, he just licked my hand and whined some more. He then laid down in front of me and put his snout in my hand. He looked up at me with what seemed like relief in his eyes. 

“Okay.” I said. “Let’s get you inside. Let’s get warm, and I’ll look at those wounds okay?” I stood up slowly as he got up. His tail even wagged. He turned and walked to my door and waited for me to open it for him. It was like he knew the place. 

I opened it and he walked in. He immediately jumped up to my couch and sprawled out. I chuckled. “Looks like no one taught you that dogs  _ normally _ aren’t supposed to be on the couch.” 

I padded carefully towards him and knelt on the floor. I didn’t touch him, but I saw he was pretty scratched up on his front legs and a little bit on his chest from the blood that darkened his already black fur. I knew he needed to be cleaned up. He was muddy from the rain. 

I left him resting on the couch, his eyes already drooping from exhaustion, and went to my linens closet. I got out a few towels and a rag or two. I filled two bowls with water and took them to the poor creature. 

One I left out for him to drink while I used the other one to try and clean his wounds. Though I was a little afraid to. I took a breath, as I knelt there in front of him, I carefully took my hand and gingerly tried to stroke behind his ear. I was expecting some kind of resistance, maybe him lashing out at me, but all he did was look at me with sorrowful eyes. I gently stroked his fur again and he relaxed even more. “I’m going to clean your wounds okay?” 

I didn’t know why I said that. It just felt right to talk to him. Like I was talking with an old friend. I took a rag and soaked it in the clean water. I began carefully cleaning the wolf’s wounds. Somehow, I felt so much more at ease, and for the first time since I had lost my family, I was able to put them out of my mind. 

That night, after doing a google search on how to feed the wolf, we both had full bellies and I was getting ready for bed. I was in my pjs when the wolf slunk off my couch and was standing in my doorway. “What is it?” I asked him.

Without much thought, the wolf just went across the room and laid down on my bed. “Hey! That’s my bed.” He just looked at me. I huffed. “Well, if you’re going to sleep there you better scooch over.” Despite his size, when I crawled into the covers and he moved towards one side of the bed, I seemed to fit just fine. He even adjusted to have his head near my lap when I laid down. 

I smiled at him and stroked his head gently. “So you wanna be my new roommate huh?” He just blinked at me and wagged his tail. “I’ll take that as a yes. Then you’ll need a name.” I stopped stroking his head but he nuzzled my hand as if he didn’t want me to stop. I chuckled. “Okay then. I’ll figure out a name...I’m just glad not to be alone.” 

He licked my hand affectionately. He seemed to be in much agreement. “What about? Wolfie?” He snorted in my hand. “Okay so not Wolfie? That was joke anyway. How about…” I thought of Arden in that moment. He loved dogs. Always wanted one, though he seldom had the time for one. That’s when I remembered what he always wanted to name a dog. I smiled. “How about Max?” 

The wolf didn’t protest. Just went back to laying down trying to sleep. “I’ll take that as an okay for now then. Max.” I stroked his ear. “Goodnight Max.” 

…

The next morning, I got up early, and started breakfast. Eggs and bacon and all of that. Made some extra for my wolf. As I was finishing up, Max suddenly stood in front of me. He started growling, a sound he hadn’t made in my presence before. I looked up towards the direction he was growling at. The front door. “It’s okay. I’ll go check.” 

Max stayed at my heels as I looked through my peep hole. It was one those FBI agents again. “Just a minute.” I said through the door. “You need to hide. They don’t know you're here.” 

He just stared angrily at the door. He was protective of me. “Max. Go. They’ll take you away if they know you're here.” I doubt wolves were approved pets in the state of California. He looked back at me and sulked to the bedroom. I closed the door behind him. 

I took a breath, and opened the door. “Agent.” 

It was the taller one of the two, the one who didn’t have the stick up his ass, so I was a little relieved that it was him. “Hi, sorry to bother you but I had just a few more questions.” 

I stepped out, not letting him in my house, and walked towards the bench on my porch. “What is it?” 

“Your family has been here for generations?” 

I furrowed my eyebrows as we sat down. “Yes. Since like the founding of the town. What does that have to do with anything?” 

“Would you say your family had any enemies over the years?” 

“I don’t think so, but i didn’t really listen to my dad when he told us about our family history.” 

“Yeah, it’s okay, I didn’t listen much to my dad either.” 

I chuckled a little. “So what are you really here for?” 

He opened his mouth, then quickly shut it, then said, “did your parents have any enemies? People who would want to hurt them?” 

“Umm, well we had some issues with some people a few years back. I was a kid, so I didn't know the extent of it, but…” 

“But what?” 

“The leader of it...a woman named...Ayllith, I think it was...she vandalized our shop.” 

“How?” 

I swallowed. Suddenly putting two and two together. “She sprayed painted some curse runes and a nasty message on the store front.” 

“What?” 

My blood ran cold. “Get out or die.” 

His face filled with worry. “Have you gotten any messages or anything even remotely threatening?” 

“No. But I still have to check my mail. Why?” 

“It’s hard to explain but-“ 

Then I heard a car roll up. It was the other agent in the Impala. He got out of his car yelling, “Sammy! We’ve got company.” 

We both stood from the bench. “Dean. What’s going on?” The man next to me asked. Then Max started barking. More like howling. “You have a dog?” He asked. 

“A stray that I took in.” The wind picked up. Every instinct I had told me that something was very wrong. “What’s going on?” 

The other man just ignored me. “I just saw one of Crowley’s goons.” 

“What?” 

Thunder crashed above us. “The hell?” I asked. 

I was grabbed by the shoulders. “We need to get inside.” 

As soon as the door slammed shut behind us. My heart started to race. The floor became harder to navigate as I started coughing. My mouth was dryer than a dessert as I grasped for air. My knees found the floor as one of the men caught me. 

Max’s howls and barks grew as the men started shouting at each other. “The Hex bag! Find the hex bag!” 

I tried to squeak out something. Trying to say,  _ there shouldn’t be a chance in hell that there’s a fucking hex bag in my house _ ! Still. I was trying to live. I was on the floor, in the arms of a man who I barely knew. The edges of my vision began to blur. All I could hear was howling. I was starting to accept it. Then it all stopped. 

As if I finally reached the surface of water, I took in the biggest breath I could. I proceeded to cough as I was catching my breath, but thankfully I was able to keep breathing. Still, all I could hear was the howling, and well the two men speaking. They found the damned thing in what felt like hours.

“You okay?” One asked as they  sat me up. One of them fetched a glass of water. After I chugged the whole thing down I could speak. 

“You guys are definitely  _ not _ FBI.” They exchanged some looks. And I asked, “what are your real names? And what the hell are you?” 

The one next to me, the tall one, said, “I’m Sam Winchester, and this is brother Dean.” 

“We’re hunters.” Dean muttered as he looked at the door of my bedroom. From the other room, Max scraped at the door and was still barking. “Can you shut that thing up?” 

I got up and walked towards my door. “It’s okay Max.” I opened it and knelt to the ground. Letting the poor thing check me out. He sniffed and nuzzled me mostly. I chuckled after a few affectionate licks. 

“That’s a big dog.” Sam remarked. 

I stood up and stroked Max behind his ears. “I think he’s a wolf actually. He’s too big for a dog.” 

Dean stood there a shocked expression plastered over his face. “You said he was a stray?” 

“Yeah. He came up to me yesterday all scratched up and muddy from the rain. He trusts me.” I shook my head as I calmed down. “Okay. Why the hell was there a hex bag in my house?” 

“We think that there’s a witch in town.” Sam replied. 

“No shit. Let me see what’s left of it.” They led me to the stove where Dean had burnt the thing. Thankfully my father taught me a few tricks. I took a good sniff from the ashes. “Definitely a hex bag. Why the hell does this witch want me dead?” 

“She wants to finish the job on your family.” Dean explained, while Max just nuzzled at my legs. “Has there been anyone here in the last few days.” 

“You two, and Farrah. A Family friend. But she’s no witch.” 

“Does she work at the library?” He asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Great. That was one of Crowley’s goons.” 

The two just seemed more aspirated. “Who the hell is Crowley?” I asked. 


	3. Way Down We Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the King of hell himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m procrastinating studying for a final next week by writing this. Lol enjoy an unexpected appearance by Crowley and some flirtation between Sam and Reader. ;) -Indigo

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” -Mark Twain 

  
  
  
  
  


“Crowley’s a demon. King of hell actually.” Sam replied. 

I stared at him. “King of hell? The king of hell is trying to kill me?” I knew that there were some scary things in this world, but Demons? “Demons actually possess people? And you know this how?” 

Dean spoke up as he pulled out his cell phone. “One is occupying a sweet lady down at the library. She recognized me and told me to back off.” He pressed the phone to his ear. 

I sat down at my table, and Max put his head in my lap. “Farrah is possessed? And she put the hex bag in my house?” 

“Looks like it.” Sam replied. 

Then Dean grunted at the phone. “Crowley you son of bitch! Call me back. Now.” 

“Hold on, did you just call him?” I looked at the two of them. _What the hell was I roped into?_ “You have the King of Hell’s number?” 

Dean just shoved the phone back in his suit pocket. “It’s complicated.” 

I scoffed. “What about Farrah? We have to help her. Can’t you exercise a demon with a priest or whatever?” 

The man was silent. From briefly knowing, that wasn’t good. “What happened?” 

“She jumped at me, and…” he suddenly pulled out a knife. 

I sighed. “She’s dead?” A few tears escaped from my eyes as I tried to wipe them away. “Oh my...did you even try to help her?” 

“I’m sorry. The demon would have killed her anyway. Probably did already.” 

I got up and said, “what about the witch? Why is she trying to kill me, and why is she working with Demons?” 

“That’s why we’re here,” Sam replied as he stuck his hands in his pockets. “She’s obviously very powerful and connected.” 

“Does your family have any archives? History that you have access to?” Dean asked. 

“At my parents house. What does my family history have anything to do with it?” 

Sam took out his phone and said, “well we found a picture of the witch that vandalized your family shop. She’s been arrested for other crimes like that.” It was a mugshot. A woman in her thirties with cold eyes and black hair. “And we also found this in the local archives.” He went to another image. A very old phone, probably one of the first in the town's history, with the same woman. 

Chills ran down my spine. I took the phone from his hand as I stared at it. “These pictures, these women look exactly alike.” 

“We think they're the same person.” Dean replied. “Probably uses some old magic or whatever to stay young.” 

I gave back the phone, turned, and grabbed the spare keys hanging in my kitchen. One of them was for my parents' place. “Then let's get to the bottom of this. If there’s answers we’ll find them at my parents house.” 

Dean protested. “Uhh,you're not going.” 

“No, I am. It’s my parents place. And it’s sigiled and protected by magic. The only person who can get in is me.” 

“Wiccan Fort Knox?” Sam asked with a smirk. 

“My family has been at this for years. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without some sense of survival.” 

“Yeah. Well there’s a witch after you, and who knows what else.” Dean replied. 

“Then come with me if you two are so worried. But I need to end this. And I think the means to end it is there.” 

They just exchanged some looks between each other, then eventually let me go to their car. Well, until Max decided to follow. When Sam opened the door for me, Max just jumped right in. I chuckled as Dean began to protest again. “Okay. No dogs in Baby, c’mon.” 

“Baby?” I asked Sam. 

“That’s what he calls the Impala.” He said quietly before saying to Dean, “he clearly wants to come along.” 

Max was sitting on the bench happily as I said, “Dean he’s clearly protective of me. He’s not going to let me go with you two alone.” 

Dean just grumbled as he said, “just get in.” 

…

  
  


When we pulled up to the house...I couldn’t help but feel their deaths all over again. I climbed out washed with memories of my childhood. When my dad taught me how to ride a bike. When our mom made us cupcakes for our birthday. It all brought a sad smile to my face. 

I was brought out of it when Max just nuzzled against my leg again. “You okay?” Sam asked me as he and Dean were already halfway up the steps. 

I shook my head. “Yeah, just...it’s the first time I’ve been back here since that night.” I walked up towards them. Sam gave me one of those puppy dog looks again. While Dean just stood there waiting for me, for the first time I had seen, with a look of sympathy for me. 

I took the key out and unlocked the door. “Where are the files?” Dean asked as we walked in. 

“Upstairs.” I made a beeline towards my dad’s office. He kept them all there. 

Sam followed me while Dean stayed at the front doorway. Watching, I supposed. I walked into my dad’s office, and another wave of memories and sadness hit me just by the smell of the place. Old books and vanilla filled my senses as I tried shaking it off, and I went to his safe behind the desk. 

“I thought my dad was a hoarder for keeping all of this.” I opened the safe to see it filled to the brim with all of the family history and mementos. The first thing I pulled out was an old and large leather book. “This is the family Grimoire.” I placed it on the desk carefully. I turned back to the safe and started pulling out the various files. 

“Can I?” Sam asked. 

“Go ahead.” I said in passing as I started to stack the rest of the files. Eventually, I found the bottom of the file, an old family album. “That’s the last of it.” 

I picked up one of the files marked with 1890. I flipped through it. There was some copies of newspaper clippings as well as a few pictures. I glanced up at Sam. The amazement on his face made me smile a little. “That’s been part of my family for a very long time.” 

“It's incredible. There’s info in here I haven’t even heard about. And I think I’ve seen everything.” 

I chuckled. “It’s special. The prized possession in the Everston family. That thing has been added to and rewritten in a way each time it passed from one generation to the next.” The thought took away my smile. It only made me think of my parents more.

Sam noticed and said, “I’m sorry. About your parents. I know it isn’t easy.” We just looked at each other for a moment. _His parents are dead_? 

Then Dean came through the doorway. “Sam.” We both looked at him, “we need to pack all this up and go. Now.” 

“Why? What’s going on?” I asked. 

He looked worried. Too worried. “There are some dudes across the street that don’t look like their a part of the homeowners association. I think we need to make a break for it.” 

“Demons?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah.” Without another word from me, I started gathering all of it up. I found a tote bag of my mom’s and started throwing in the files. Sam handed me the Grimoire as well as the family album to carry. He took the tote for me and we left the office. 

“Let’s go Max.” We rushed down the stairs only to see a man in front of the door. I stopped on the steps while Dean and Sam stood protectively in front of me. Max growled at the intruder crouching in a defensive position in front of me. 

“Hello boys.” He said with a British accent. “You called?” 

Dean seethed and pulled out a serrated knife. “Crowly.”

_So this is the King of Hell_? I thought with wide eyes. 

“Well I was in the neighborhood,” then the man looked straight at me. “I’m sorry for the intrusion Ms. Everston. But I needed to talk to the boys as soon as possible.” 

“Why are you here?” Sam asked with bite in his voice. 

“You asked for me, Moose.” He then turned towards Dean, who had moved off the steps, his knife still out. “Now back to business. That girl you have is a wanted lady.” 

“By who?” Dean asked. 

“A witch who has been doing illegal transactions.” 

“What did she do? Give a soul that wasn’t there?” Dean quipped. 

The demon chuckled. “Didn’t sell her own soul. She sold stolen ones.” 

“You can steal souls?” I asked in a whisper. I realized that I was in way over my head. 

He smiled, but ignored me. “This witch has been a pain in my ass for a little too long. And thanks to you two, one of the demons conducting the deals is dead, but the witch is still at large.” 

Sam spoke up. “Where is she?” 

“I. Don’t. Know.” He said, raising his voice. “Quit interrupting.” 

Now I see the King of Hell. “What does she want to do with my family? Why hurt us? We didn’t do anything.” I said bravely. 

Unfortunately, the bravery died out when the demon looked at me with a smile. “I like your girlfriend Moose. She’s asking the good questions.” 

My face flushed up and Sam shifted a little in front of me. Dean just ignored the comments. “Are you going to answer them or not?” 

“The witch’s name is Ayllith. She’s been around a good few centuries. Always heard she had some sort of beef with the Everston clan. Hence why they escaped to this little dump of a town.” 

“Why now? If she’s been alive this long? Why now kill the descendants of who ever pissed her off?” I asked. 

He chuckled again. “She just made the deal of a lifetime with something more than a demon. Wanted to start off her reign of terror over humans with a bang.” Tears were free falling from my face now. “She wanted to end the family line of the one person she hated most.

“And now that you know her goal, you’re going find her for me.” 

“And why would we do that.” Dean asked. 

“Simple. We share the same goals.” The smile disappeared from his face. “I want the bitch dead. And you want to protect _her_.” His eyes flicked over to me. “Ayllith will be recharging tonight during the full moon, tomorrow is your last chance to get out of town before she tries to kill you again. Bide your time, and you’ll find a way to kill her.” 

“You want me to kill her? You have two hunters right here.” 

“Yes, but only an Everston can kill _this_ witch. Good luck.” 

With that, he disappeared. And left us with more questions than answers. 


	4. I’ll Keep you Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting a game plan together, then someone drops in to change said plan.

  
  


_ “She’s battling things her smile will never tell you about.” - _ Jonny Ox 

  
  
  
  


After the run in with the King of Hell, Dean and Sam took Max and I to a local burger shack to regroup. Sam and I waited by the hood of the car while Dean went to the counter. Max slept in the backseat with the windows down. After waiting in silence for so long, leaning against the already cooled hood of the engine, I mustered up the courage to ask a question.“So how did you guys meet the king of hell?” 

“Long story.” Sam chuckled. 

“I’ve got time.” He smirked at me. 

“Time for what?” Dean said while walking towards us with a mouth half full of fries as he handed out bags. Using the black hood of the impala as a table, we started eating. 

“The story of how you two got the King of Hell’s number.” 

Dean smirked, “long story, sister.” He started eating his burger. “Kind of story over a couple whiskeys.” 

I huffed. “Fine. Since you don’t want to tell me right now, then we need to figure out how to get rid of this witch.” I said to them.

Sam nodded. “We will, but I don’t think we can over a single lunch. We need to get you safe before we could do that.” 

“Do you have family somewhere you can stay?” Dean asked. 

“I’m fine on my own here.” 

“You sure about that cause you got Hexed this morning.” He replied. 

Sam then said, “we’re thinking if you got out of town there would be a lot less of a chance that the witch would find you. Giving us time to figure out how to find and kill her.”

I frowned. “My brother’s the only family I’ve got now. Nobody else.” 

“Who’s MIA.” Sam remarked. 

Dean sighed. “Then you're stuck with us. At least until the witch is dead. We leave tomorrow morning.” 

Sam just nodded in agreement. I raised my eyebrow and said, “so you just decided for me? That I’m going with you two, to who knows where?” 

“Do you have another choice?” I didn't answer Dean, knowing that if they left me on my own, I’d probably get killed. Again with a mouth full of food. “And the stray goes to the shelter.” 

“No way in hell. Max’s got nowhere else to go.” I said suddenly protective. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want to part from Max. 

“Dude. It’s her dog.” Sam tried to reason with his brother. 

“It’s a wolf, and we don’t exactly have wolf food stored at the bunker.” 

“Wait, you guys live in a bunker?” I asked. 

“Yeah. It’s the safest place on earth basically,” Sam explained, “Warded against everything. And there's plenty of food. Plus we can get kibble.” I chuckled at that.

“I don’t want Baby, or the bunker for that matter, smelling like dog, or wolf.” 

_ Too late _ . “He trusts me. Protects me. I think...I don’t know...but I think he was sent to me for a reason.” 

“So you think he’s your familiar?” Dean asked. 

“No, that’s a part of witchcraft, I’m a Wiccan.” I corrected. 

“Whatever, unless he shows how useful he is, he’s getting put out.” 

I huffed and looked at Sam, he winked at me. Somehow I knew that Max would show that very quickly. “So...I didn’t get a chance to ask, why are you guys here? And why are you helping me?” 

Sam and Dean glanced at each other. After a beat, Sam started to speak. “Well, uh...we heard about the fire and the weird circumstances, so we came to town. We hunt monsters for a living, and we help people. All the time. I guess it’s just second nature.” 

l smiled a little. “You know there’s really not a lot of people who are like that.”

Dean chuckled. “Tell me about it.” He said. 

We finished eating and headed towards my cottage. With Max’s head in my lap, I watched as we passed by the town. The only one I had ever known, and now I was leaving to who knows where with two men I had known for only twenty four hours. 

I was nervous to say the least. And sad. Very sad. 

…

We went inside and proceeded to put up more protection sigils. Though Dean thought it would also be a good idea for something else on top of that. “A devil’s what?” I asked. 

“A devils trap. Any demon that walks into it will be stuck unless let out.” Sam explained. 

“Just in case Crowly comes by.” Dean said cheekily. 

“And it involves spray paint on my floor?” Sam noticed my disdain for the notion of it. 

“We can do it on the backside of a rug?”

I smiled at that. “Yes let’s do that since I’m only staying the night.” I walked towards my linens closet to look for some spare kitchen rugs. 

“About That.” Dean said from across the room as he shook a spray can. 

“What now?” I tossed him two rugs, one for each entrance. 

“Sammy, how about you tell her. I’m going to do a paint job.” 

Dean went to the porch, leaving Sam and I alone. He turned and smiled awkwardly at me. “Yeah, Dean was thinking we should stay the night with you.” 

I raised my eyebrow. “Both of you?” 

“Yeah. You know to protect you if the witch decides to attack before we leave.” 

“Where are you going to sleep? I only have one bed and I’m pretty sure Max is sharing it with me.” 

He chuckled at me. “What I’m trying to say is...can we stay? I mean the couch doesn’t look half bad. And there’s a spare sleeping bag in the back of the Impala.” 

I thought about it for a moment. These two didn’t seem the type to try anything funny on me, especially not when there’s a wolf between me and them. “Yeah, you two just need to figure out who’s sleeping where. We’re leaving early anyway.” 

After finishing up with the protective measures, we were all starving. So Sam decided to take the Impala to a nearby diner. “I can go with you.” I said wanting to drive through the town one last time.

“Sure.” He said as he got the keys and threw on a jacket. Even with the sun setting, it was still warm. No idea why he thought he needed a jacket. 

“Dean, you can watch Max right?” I teased. 

He was reading a newspaper as he grumbled. Max stayed thankfully on the rug of the living room floor, though he looked up as I was leaving through the front door. I smiled at him reassuringly one last time then I walked off my porch to the Impala. 

...

Sam and I were waiting at the diner’s take out counter. As soon as somebody came up, Sam rolled out the order. And just as the waitress was about to put the order in, he said, “Oh and a couple slices of pie.” 

“Pie?” I asked as Sam paid. 

“Dean’s eternal weakness.” 

I laughed, almost like a maniac as I instantly thought of a plan to win Deans favor for Max. “Looks like Max is gonna be with us after all.” 

He raised his eyebrow. “Why’a that?” 

“I worked at a bakery, and I’m excellent at making pie.” 

He smiled, “don’t tell him that. He’ll never let you leave.”

I turned and leaned against the counter as I chuckled. I stared at the Impala. “You know my brother would love that car?” 

Sam glanced at the direction I was staring at. “Seriously?” 

“Yeah. He has a vintage corvette himself. Don’t ask anything else about it, I wouldn't know, but he’s as crazy about cars as they come.” 

“Dean’s the same. He loves that thing.” 

“He seriously calls it ‘Baby’?” 

“Yeah.” We both laughed at it. Then the waitress came up to us with our order, I was looking through it when Sam got a phone call. “Dean? Dean calm down what’s going on?” 

I raised my eyebrow as we went towards the car. Sam hung up and started the Impala up. “What’s going on?” 

“I don’t know but it’s got Dean pretty worked up.” Sam basically floored it as we rushed back to the cottage. I forgot about our dinner, as we ran inside. 

Instead of some scene of Dean being attacked by something like I thought would have happened, I saw something much different. 

“Arden?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love a good twist, can you tell?- Indigo


	5. Someone to Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arden makes a return, but not in the way anyone expected. And it only becomes more difficult as we come to terms with this situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really trying to work this emotional weight they are feeling. Enjoying writing all of this but struggling because of finals. Will write more after ;) -Indigo

_ “I’ve never met a strong person with an easy past.” _ -Unknown

  
  
  
  


Stood in front of me, in a pair of basketball shorts and one of my sweatshirts, was my brother who had been missing for over a week. “Rae.” 

I tackled him. Tears were streaming down my face as he crushed me in one of his bear hugs.  _ He’s safe _ . I thought. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. My brother was safe and with me. But suddenly all that joy collided with all of the sadness and anger I had withstood without him. 

I pulled away from him, realizing how angry I really was. “Where the hell have you been?! Mama and Dad are dead! And the sheriffs are looking for you for Arson and Murder charges.”

“I know.” A few tears ran down his cheeks. And only anger burned in my heart. “I know, but...I don’t know how to tell you this...I’ve been here.” 

I blinked at him. “What? I don’t understand.” Arden just looked at me with a blank expression. He looked up at the brothers behind me for help. I felt the quick, hot anger, dissipate almost instantly. 

“Uhh Rae?” Dean asked from behind me. 

I rolled my eyes. “What Dean?” 

“Where’s the mutt?” 

“Dean for the last time, Max isn’t a mutt he’s a-“ 

“He’s me.” Arden said. It took me a minute to process what was being said. I looked around. Max was nowhere to be seen. Well not really. My brain finally clicked. 

“You...you’re...I need to sit down.” I made it to the couch as I came to terms with the bizarre information that was given to me. “What the hell happened?” I finally asked. 

Arden began,  “I was working late at the shop. You knew that. It was almost three am when the front of the store had somebody trying to get in. Nate went to tell whoever it was to come back and that we were closed. That’s when I heard a gunshot. I got scared so I ran off to call somebody. I knew I hadn’t had much time so I called you. Then a few sentences into the call, they found me. It was a couple of dudes with...with-“ 

“With black eyes?” Dean asked. 

Arden nodded, “yeah. Weirdest thing I ever saw.” 

“Yeah…those were demons.” Sam replied. 

“if I hadn’t seen what I have in the last few days...I would have called you crazy.” 

“Just continue, please.” I interjected. 

“Sorry. So they jumped me. They hit me on the head, I guess, and threw me into a van. Next thing I knew I was chained up in a basement somewhere. And there was this lady-“ 

“Wait a minute, was this her?” Sam asked and pulled out his phone. He showed him the mugshot of Ayllith. 

“Yeah. She was...she was crazy. And she was doing all sorts of dark magic. I didn’t understand most of it, but...somehow she turned me into a wolf. I made a break for it as soon as possible, and I ran here.” 

We sat in silence for a minute. I wasn’t sure what to say as I was still in shock. Then Dean decided to break the tension, “I don’t know about you three, but I’m getting the dinner that was left out.” He stood and headed straight to the dining table.

“You hungry?” I asked my brother. 

“Starving.” We all got up and went to my kitchen table. Dean apparently got beer at some point, cause he had a six pack waiting in my fridge that he dug out. We all got a beer and dove straight into the food. 

“Rabbit food Sam, really?” Dean said. 

I chuckled. “Okay, who orders a salad at a diner?” I smirked at Sam. 

Dean then replied, “Thank you. See it’s not normal.” Sam just shook his head and took it. Then I was handed my patty melt, which I cut in half and let Arden have one of, and started eating. 

“So you two are hunters? How long have you been at that?” Arden asked. 

“Our dad started when we were kids and raised us into it.” Dean said through a few bites of his burger. 

I raised my eyebrows at that. I looked at Sam. His mouth was grimaced as he nodded at that. Arden and Dean proceeded to speak for the rest of the time that we took to eat.

...

As we cleaned up the take out, I stood and saw something strange peeking out on the back of Arden’s neck hidden by the hoodie. “Arden? What’s that on your neck?” 

He looked at me with confusion and pressed his hand on the back of it. He winced at the touch of it. I immediately peeled the fabric away to see a fresh tattoo. My eyes grew wide. “When the hell did you get a tattoo?!” 

Arden scrambled out of his seat to my bathroom. “The hell?!” He said as he saw it with an extra mirror held in front of the wall mounted one.

“He’s didn’t had that?” Dean asked. 

I shook my head. “Our mother is not one for tattoos, and Arden is chickenshit when it comes to needles.” I said honestly.

“That bitch!” Arden yelled out, and I stepped back wincing. I hated when his anger flared out. He stomped out of the bathroom. “She must have done this with the ritual.” 

Sam stood and took out his phone. “Here. Let me take a picture of it and we’ll figure out what it is.” 

Arden, despite how pissed off he was, let Sam. I shook my head and said, “this is insane. Okay. You need to tell us exactly what she did.” 

Arden just grumbled. He was starting to calm down, but his energy bristled. “I don’t know what she did.” He’s obviously dancing around the subject.

I sighed. “Arden,” I said gently, “you can tell me. We need to figure this out. There might lasting effects that we don’t know-“ 

“I don’t know what the hell she did!” He shouted then stormed out to my porch. 

I stood there with my mouth agape. A tear or two slipped from my eyes. Dean tried to follow him out, “don’t.” I said, “He needs a second to calm down.” 

“Are you okay?” Sam asked. Concern was written all over his face once he noticed I was crying. 

“I’m fine. I’ll go talk to him in a little bit. In the meantime...I need to pack.” I said as an excuse to go to my room. I shut the door between myself and the Winchesters. Tears streamed down my face as I pressed my palms to my mouth. I sniffed a little as I pressed my back to the door. 

It was all too much as everything was thrown back in my face. My parents' deaths. My brother’s disappearance and reappearance. The quest given to me by the King of Hell himself. 

I got my brother back, but at what cost? And I was on the cusp of leaving my home, my town, all that I have ever known. It was all too much as I fought sobs while sliding down to the floor. 

...

I sat there for awhile. Just feeling all of it. It kept coming back in waves, more intense than the last, as I battled with it. Then I thought back to Arden’s tattoo. It was clearly a sigil, but one that I had never seen. It looked like someone put it there when they were angry with quick strokes, not caring that the skin was suffering in the act. Still, there was a part of me that swore I had seen it somewhere. 

I took a deep breath and stood. I thought it over as I pulled out my suitcase from the top of my closet. I threw it open on my bed and began looking through clothes I thought I would need. Folded up at least four pairs of jeans, a few tops and t shirts, and a couple of my long skirts and dresses that I liked to wear especially during rituals, or just to wear in general. I took what few of the jewelry I had and put it into a small box and put that in there too. 

Then I went to my dresser, which had a mirror on top, and I collected the pictures I had taped and stuck into the frame. Pictures of Arden and I in various ages with our parents. One of just my parents on the beach. A few pictures with friends. All good memories as I fought tears. I stuck them in my book of shadows, which I placed on my bed next to the family Grimore. 

The next thing I found was a police envelope. It was my parents belongings that were on their person when they died. It made me ill just to think about the damned thing, but I knew I couldn’t just leave it there. I opened it and gently shook out its contents on the top of the dresser. It was my dad’s old leather wallet, a leather cord bracelet that my mother wore all the time, and their wedding rings. I shed a few tears as I held them together in my palm. They weren’t much, but to both my brother and I, they were the most valuable things in the house. I wiped the tears from my cheeks as I found a little coin purse and put the precious things in there. I packed it in my backpack to figure out later. 

Then I went around my room and collected what crystals and candles that I could take. Any and all objects for my practice. I stuffed my book of shadows, along with the family Grimoire and the album, in my backpack. I threw some other miscellaneous things in there as I found them. At this point, the case and backpack were nearly packed full. I stared at it. It couldn’t be nearly enough to feel like home wherever we were going, but i knew that I hadn’t had much of a choice. 

Then there was a knock on my door. “Just a minute.” I wiped what I could from my tears and opened the door. I looked up to see Sam. “What is it?” 

“You okay?” When he looked down at me with those pretty eyes, it made my insides a little warm.  _ Weird _ . 

I had a small smile. “You keep asking me that.” I thought outloud. He said that to me several times that day. “I guess. Just packing.” I walked back towards my bed and let Sam walk in. “Has Arden said anything?” 

“He’s talking with Dean right now. Still on the front porch.” He gestured towards a white chair I had in front of me clearly asking to sit. He sat down in front of me as he said, “I’ve looked into that mark some more. I think...I think it’s associated with curses.” 

“So Arden could have been cursed?” I asked as I sat down on the bed. 

He grimaced at me. “He could still be. Curses don’t  _ break _ on their own. 

My stomach churned as I sighed. “What the hell are we gonna do? 

“Back at the bunker, we have a ton of information and lore. We’ll look at everything that we can into both the witch and his curse. Hopefully, killing her will be enough, or at least we’ll get information from her on how to break it.” 

“I hope so too.” I signed. “So this is a regular thing for you guys? You just launch yourselves into shit you know could get you killed?”

He nodded. “Yeah. It’s the family business.” 

“Your parents must be thrilled.” I said dryly. 

“Wouldn’t know. They’re...they’re died.” 

I stared at him. Sadness filled me up again, threatening to spill out all over. “I’m sorry. How long have they been gone?” 

“My mom died when I was a baby. Our dad raised us, died when I was twenty two. Both because of a demon.” 

I shook my head. “Does it get any easier? Cause every time that think about it, I just want to wallow in it or try to bury it.” 

He nodded. “It does. That pain is always there, but...it gets easier to handle.” 

…

It was almost 1 am, and Arden finally came back inside. I was sitting with Sam in the kitchen, my nerves not really allowing me to sleep, as Arden walked in. Dean wasn’t far behind, but just sat on the couch. Sam left the table not long after and joined Dean. 

Neither of us spoke, we just stared at each other from across the table, waiting to see if the other would speak first. Then Dean not so subtly coughed, and Arden glanced his way and said, “I don’t know how to tell you what happened.” 

I took his hand and smiled gently. “You can. I’m your sister. You can tell me anything, however way you can.” I said on instinct. 

The corner of his mouth lifted, brightening, for a second, the firm line of his mouth. “Okay. When I woke up in that basement. I was...I was chained to the ceiling. I hung there for hours. Alone in the dark and cold. I didn’t understand I was kept there. But I remember the room. On the ground was a ritual circle, but none I had never seen. I was in the center of it...It was almost sunrise when she came in. She…” he swallowed dryly, taking a moment to find the words. “She was covered in blood and ash.” 

I couldn’t stop the steady stream of tears down my face. And Arden started to cry as well. I think we both knew where she had come from. “She started this ritual with a chant. That was the only thing she said the whole time. Over and over. And suddenly I was in the worst pain of my life. I thought she was killing me. It was everywhere and intense. Unending. Next thing I knew...I was a wolf. Trapped in a cage.” 

“Do you remember the chant at all? It could help us figure it out.” Sam asked gently. 

Arden shook his head. “It was far from Latin. Older. Darker. The only thing I really remember was...Ee-ruu-tah. I know she definitely said that.” 

“Did you recognize anything she used in ritual.” I asked.

He kept his eyes away from me. “Definitely blood.” My stomach was in knots at that one. “And some kind of red dust. Like uh...a flower pot color. It tasted like salt or something.” 

“How do you know that?” Dean asked. 

“She threw it in my face. And that’s it. That’s all I can remember.

I gripped his hand harder. “It’s plenty. Until we figure out what this all is, we’re staying together, okay? She’s not going near you again.” I promised protectively, though they all looked at me like that was a promise I could never keep. 


	6. Start Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving home, but not without a hitch. A hitch with black eyes.

_“We’ll survive, you and I.”_ -F. Scott Fitzgerald 

  
  
  
  
  


I woke up just a little before sunrise, to shower and to get ready for the trip to the Bunker. I sighed as I threw my covers off and sat on the edge of the bed. Then I saw a familiar black shape. My shoulders slunk as I saw Arden’s wolf form again. _It was too good to be true_. 

He got up from his spot on the floor, where he had slept in the sleeping bag, and padded over to me. He placed his head in my lap as I stroked his head and ears gently. “Morning.” I whispered. He looked up at me worriedly. “We’re going to figure this out. You won’t be cursed forever I promise.” 

We sat there for a few more moments as I let myself ride through the emotions again of the situation in front of me. Then I took a deep breath. _Time to get going_. I thought. 

I invited Arden to sit on the bed and got up. _The Winchesters certainly made themselves at home_. I thought as I emerged from my room. Dean was sprawled on the couch, sleeping on his side and slightly snoring. While Sam was on the floor, laying on his stomach with a couch pillow he had borrowed and in the sleeping bag. _Guess Dean won the couch fight after all_. 

I walked into the kitchen and threw together one last pot of coffee, enough for all three of us. Once it was started, I went to the other room and gathered the clothes I would wear for the road. A pair of comfy jeans and a blue tank top. It was still July, and I didn’t need anything fancy for a road trip. Then I went into my bathroom, locked the door behind me, and started my shower letting the room fill with steam.

As I felt the lukewarm water on my back, I was hit with another reminder of how I was leaving home. Especially the one I had made for myself. I liked my little cottage atop the cliff by the sea. I loved hearing the waves crash at night, and walking across my creaky floorboards. It was a place where I felt intuned with my craft and nature itself. And now, it wasn’t safe anymore. Now I had to leave. And my heart begged me not to go. 

I shook my thoughts out of my head and finished up. I got dressed quickly and put a towel over my shoulders to wring out my hair. Giving my hair a second, I pulled out a floral bag underneath the sink and threw any and all toiletries I thought I would need. I figured that the bunker didn’t have all the nice hair products that I liked. 

Then there was a knock on the door. “Just a sec.” I zipped the bag up and took it with me as I unlocked the door. No one was behind it, but then again, it was a small house. I looked over, and saw that both Dean and Sam were up. I went to my room and threw the bag in with my suitcase. I started drying my hair as I heard Dean’s voice. “Hey, we leave in 20.” 

“Got it.” I said as I worked my hair a little faster. Once I felt it was at the right dampness. I threw the towel in my laundry. 

I walked out to the kitchen to try and chug some coffee down in the little time I had left before taking off. Sam was at the counter, already pouring a few cups. He handed me one as I asked, “so where's the bunker exactly?” 

“Lebanon, Kansas.” 

“ _Lovely_. Long drive ahead of us.” I said dryly. 

“It’s not that bad.” 

“Yeah, you guys drive for a living. Of course you would say it’s not that bad.” I chuckled. 

“Got everything?” He asked. I noticed that his hair was still a mess from sleeping. It only made it fluffier. _I wish I could comb my fingers through it_. 

I coughed a little from drinking too fast, and said, “yeah, uhh. No, I have to get my gun.” I realized out loud.

Sam nearly choked on his coffee, and Dean asked from across the living room, “ _you_ have a gun?” 

I rolled my eyes. “My dad gave it to me. If it was his choice, I wouldn’t have left the house before I got married. So the deal was I got a gun and learned how to use it.” 

Despite their shocked silence, I finished with the coffee and left it in the sink. I went into my room to finish packing.

...

I threw on my jean jacket and walked my suitcase out to the back of the Impala. Dean had left it open for me as he ran inside for something. I lifted the thing and threw it in the back. Before I closed it, I noticed the white paint on the underside of it. A star and more symbols. _These boys are that paranoid?_ I thought. 

“You’re Astraea right?” I heard suddenly behind me. I looked over my shoulder. There was a woman who had short blond hair and stood about my height wearing a leather jacket. Even in the cooler temps of the morning, it was strange to see someone in winter wear this time of year. 

I quickly closed the trunk, and said, “who’s asking.” 

My stomach was churning. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Just me.” She said. _Yeah right_. I thought.

I swallowed hard and stepped over towards the house, keeping my eyes on the strange woman. “Hey Sam-“ then I flung back against the car by an unseen force. The wind nearly knocked out of me. I couldn’t get back from the car. 

“Don’t call him, it’ll just ruin the fun.” She flashed a pair of black eyes. “Just want to hitch a ride.”

My eyes were wide. The coffee in my stomach wanted to come up. My breath kept a speedy pace. The woman took my shoulders and opened her mouth. In the back of her throat, I could see black smoke coming from it.

I squeezed my eyes shut expecting the worst, but it never came. 

I heard her gasp and I opened my eyes to her looking at me with shock as the life in her eyes vanished. Dean behind her, clearly stabbing her in the back. 

The pressure lifted off of me as soon as her body crumpled to the ground. “Are you okay?” Dean asked. 

I stared at the lifeless body at my feet. My breath was still at a fast and steady pace. My heart was beating against my chest. 

Then I bolted away from the car to the bushes next to the steps of my porch. I vomited what little contents of my stomach had, leaving a bitter bile in my mouth. 

Once my body was finished evacuating my stomach, I stood upright and leaned against the railing. Both Dean and Sam stared at me If my face wasn’t red from the vomiting, it would have been in that moment. 

“You okay?” Sam asked. He placed a hand on my shoulder. 

I nodded. “I am now. That was a demon right?” Not sure why I asked. 

“Yeah,” Dean said, “we need to go.” 

…

We left not long after. We drove for hours down the coast as the boys navigated and tried to figure out a timeline of when they would get back to the bunker. Arden took up the majority of the bench and sat his head in my lap as he napped during the ride. I just stared out the window listening to the classic rock playing on Dean’s radio. 

“How are you feeling Rae?” Dean asked, pulling me from my thoughts. 

“A little better now. Still trying to wrap my head around all of this.” 

He nodded. “It takes time.” 

“What’s our ETA?” I asked. 

“Uhh we’ll drive as far as we can until tonight,” Sam said as he looked at a map. “So tomorrow night probably, maybe the next morning if we have to stop.” 

I watched the road through my window some more. Letting a few moments pass not speaking. Yet, Dean had something else to say. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Never took you for the touchy-feely type Dean. I’m impressed.” I smirked as Sam chuckled. 

Still, Dean was persistent. “I’m not, normally, but you almost got possessed today so I thought you would want to _talk_ about it.” 

I sighed. “I don’t know what to think in all honesty or _how_ to talk about it. Part of me still thinks that my parents are alive. My brother isn’t cursed. And that I don’t have this looming threat of a witch that the King of Hell has told me that I’m the only one able to kill. So I don’t really want to talk about it.” 

That kept both of them quiet for the next few hours. 


	7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is a little infuriating and it’s time for an anti possession tattoo!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I really wanted to write Rae getting a tattoo. Filler chapter, but next few will have more plot I promise. -Indigo

_ “Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.”  _ -David Foster Wallace

  
  
  
  
  


We found ourselves on the side of the road at a gas station somewhere between Whale Point and the border of California and Nevada. It was early in the afternoon.

Dean went to the pump as I got out and took off my jacket. I threw it in the backseat with Arden. He looked up at me wanting out as well. “Sorry Arden. Too many people. Can you stay?” 

Of course he didn’t answer, still I stroked his ears and started walking towards the convenience store. “Going to the restroom.” I said, passing the elder brother. 

“Sam go with her.” He ordered. 

I stopped in my tracks. I looked up at him while he paid for the gas. “I'm a grown woman, I can go by myself.” 

“Yeah, and the last time you were out in the open you-“ he stopped talking as an elderly couple walked by. “Just go, please.” 

Sam shook his head. “Come on. No use arguing with him. Gonna buy snacks anyway.” 

I huffed and walked across the hot parking lot. We went inside as I asked where the restroom was. I was given the key and did my business. When I returned, Sam already had a basket full of drinks and snacks. “Anything else?” He asked. 

I grabbed some jerky and threw it in the basket as I browsed. “So how can I get Dean off my back?” 

“You're asking the wrong person.” He said dryly. 

He chuckled at my not so amused face. “Seriously. How am I supposed to function if I can’t go twenty feet without a babysitter? I know where this leads. After this morning he is not gonna let me out of that bunker of yours.”

“He’s just worried about another demon trying to get to you. Clearly they all know you're not dead.”

“It’s nice that he’s worried about me, but I can take care of myself. And yeah, I’m new at Demons, and Witches trying to kill me, but I can't stay locked away from the world. It’s not going to solve anything. Crowley said that I have to kill her. I can’t do that from a warded bunker. and No one can do it for me.” 

He nodded. “You’re right. Which is why we’re going to do everything we can to help you do this. But in the meantime, we’re just trying to keep you safe.” 

“And I’m grateful for that, but I need some breathing room. It’s like Dean doesn’t trust me.” 

“You’ve only known us for two days, do you even trust us?” 

I chuckled, “good point. So the question is how do I build trust?” 

Sam thought for a moment while taking a look at the newspapers. “Well, if there’s no chance a demon could possess you, it’ll help.” 

“Of course, if you guys have deterrents for that.” I grabbed a box of pop tarts.

“Fortunately, yeah we do.” 

“Like what?”

“We can make a few charm bags that you can wear. Wards them off pretty well.” 

“Anything else? I’m not really good at remembering to wear that kind of thing. Plus those kinds of spells don’t last that long do they?” 

“How do you know that?”

“Sam, I’m a Wiccan. Not stupid.” I smirked. “Any other option?” 

“Well there’s,” His hand went to the collar of his shirt and pulled it back to show a tattoo on his chest. A star encircled by flames. My mouth went dry as he showed it to me. _ Pull Yourself together it’s just a tattoo. _ I thought. He let go of his shirt as we made our way to the counter. 

“A Tattoo?” 

“Dean and I both have it. Like I said, we can do the charms-“ 

“Actually,” I said after thinking about it. “I think I’d rather get the tattoo.” It made a lot of sense to be honest. No need for renewing a charms bag and I’d get some new ink. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. My mother isn’t around anymore to complain about it,” I said half joking, “plus it seems way more convenient, and it’s not my first tattoo so…” I shrugged. 

“You have one?” He raised his eyebrows at me and put the basket on top of the counter. 

I smiled at his surprise. “Yep. Sigil Tattoo on my ribs. Got it in college.” 

“Okay then.” 

“Really? Just like that?” I asked as he paid for all of the stuff. 

“Just like that.” 

We walked out with a few bags to the car. Dean was leaning against the Impala waiting for us. “Hey Dean?” I said as we threw in the snacks. Arden immediately smelt the jerky waiting for him. I opened some up and gave him so through the window. 

“Yeah?” 

“Can we make a deal?” 

“What kind of deal?” 

“I get the Anti possession tattoo and you let up on the babysitter mode.” 

He blinked at me and looked at Sam. He just shrugged at his brother. “You’re serious?” 

“Yes. I want to be able to walk into public without a Winchester at my tail. I talked to Sam about it, and it sounds like a good solution. You won’t be worried if and when I leave the bunker, and I get to leave your  _ wonderful _ presence.” I smiled. 

Dean smirked at me, “Alright then. Let’s get you the tattoo and we’ll  _ talk _ about the ‘alone in public’ part.” 

I rolled my eyes as I got in the car.  _ At least we’re talking about it, Dean doesn’t seem like the man who negotiates.  _ I thought. 

...

We drove almost an hour to find a tattoo parlor that catered specifically to hunters. It was a fairly large town, but the shop was on the outskirts. We pulled up and parked right in front of it. I patted Arden’s head and climbed out of the back seat. Leaving him sleeping in the back of the Impala with the windows down. 

Walking in with music playing in the speakers, I wasn’t surprised by the shop’s vibe. The place reminded me of the one back at home. It had the same checkered tile floor and smelt the same. 

A woman with at least three piercings on her face appeared from the back. “Hey there.” She said cheerfully. Then she noticed the boys. “Well if it isn’t the Winchesters?” 

I looked at Sam and Dean with some raised eyebrows. “Rae, this is Isobel.” I shook her hand as Sam introduced us. “We worked a case with her a few years ago.” 

“Hi.” I said politely. 

“Nice to meet you. So why are you guys in town? It better not be for a case. The last time you two came in I had to pay for a new window.” 

I chuckled at that. Dean then said, “no case. _She_ needs a tattoo.” 

She looked a little relieved to hear that. “Anti possession?” 

“That’s the one.” I said. 

“Demon hunting or avoiding? Better be the latter for you.” She smirked at me. Clearly I was fresh meat in terms of hunters, not that I considered myself one. “Come on back. Lucky for you I’m free for the afternoon.” We followed her to her work space. The walls were lined with pictures of her, what I presumed, past work. She added a new sheet to the bench and patted it for me to get on. 

“How long do you think it will take?” I asked as I sat down. 

“Hour or two.” She said. “Where do you want it?” 

“My left hip.” 

“Okay then, I’ll get a few stencils out and get you started. You boys can go now.” She said with a smile. 

Dean started to protest. “Uhh that’s-“ 

“Just go grab a beer or something,” I interrupted. “Hang out with Arden, I’m sure he wants to stretch his legs. I’ll be fine. She clearly knows what she’s doing.” 

Without much a word from either of them, they left. She pulled out some stencils of different sizes that matched Sam’s, and had me pick one. She pulled on some gloves, and asked, “first tattoo?” 

I shook my head as she put the cold stencil on my skin. “No, the second.” After some adjustments, I had the stencil in the perfect spot. She handed me some water. 

“Alright. So how did you get mixed up with the boys?” She had me lay down so that she could crouch over the skin of my hip, I faced away from her as she started up the machine. 

I chuckled a little. “It’s crazy.” 

She chuckled a little as she said, “Starting now okay?” 

“Okay.” Soon the needles were digging into my skin, and I closed my eyes as Isobel started her work. 

“I’ve seen plenty of crazy. Tell me about it, it’s not like we’re going anywhere.” 

I swallowed. “They saved my life, and they’re also helping me. Protecting me.” 

“Helping and protecting you from what?” 

“The witch who killed my parents.” 

So I told her everything. It’s funny. I hadn’t known her that long but I told her everything. It just all poured out as if a dam had burst. It took me a while, but it was all out there. I cried a little bit too, though she had plenty of tissues. 

After I finished she went into some silence. As much as I needed to keep still, I wanted to dig myself a little hole to crawl into unsure of how she would react. 

Then she spoke. “Your right. It is crazy, but...you survived it. It’s admirable.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize that I was holding. I kept the quiet between us as I let myself relax fully. The pain thankfully wasn’t as bad as when we started. 

…

I opened my eyes to footsteps. It was Sam, who had been staring at a newspaper. “Hey how much longer?” 

“Art takes time Sam, what is it?” Isobel said. 

He looked up at me. He shifted a little as he averted his eyes from my bare skin. I pretended not to notice. Sam then said, “we, uhh, we need to get going. We have another case.” 

“A case?” I asked. “I thought you guys needed to get me to the bunker.” 

“We will, but...we got a call from our friend. She’s in Denver and needs our help.” 

Isobel and I both sighed. Still she worked on. “We’ll be done soon.” She said. 

I looked up at him, careful not to move, and asked, “can you do me a favor and get my wallet from the car. It’s in my backpack.” 

Sam nodded and walked out. Soon he came back and placed it on the table for me, and left again. Soon the constant pinpricks finished and Isobel washed it down with some cleansing agent and a paper towel. 

“You're all done.” I could hear her smile. She patched me up and gave me a small kit of supplies. “For the aftercare. Follow the instructions to the T, and your tattoo will heal just fine.” She winked at me. 

“Thank you.” I paid her, gave her a decent tip, and was on my way. I walked out of the shop to see the Impala. 

Upon seeing me, Arden stood in the backseat and wagged his tail. I smiled as Dean started the car and I climbed in with my brother. 


	8. Hit Me with Your Best Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We arrive in Denver for a case with the Jody Mills. While working it, we find a connection between this case and my situation that sparks a “disagreement” with Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Took a break from posting from all that has been going on with the world, as well as some writers block. Thankfully the block lifted for me today. But the world still is the world right now. Love you all and hope that your doing okay. Sending lots of good vibes and please donate and participate where you can for BLM. -Indigo

_ “Your now is not your forever.  _ -John Green

  
  
  
  


I was dozing off when we finally stopped for the night. The Impala had been hauling us through the Nevada desert for hours. Dean almost fell asleep behind the wheel when the decision was made to find a Motel. 

The older, run down motel was in a small desert town. It’s sign beckoning travelers was neon yellow and had two palm trees sitting out front. We parked and let Dean go in to get a room. “Where are we?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. 

“Just outside of the Nevada/Utah border.” Sam replied with a yawn. 

I nodded. “Do you think they’ll notice Arden if we let him out?” 

We had parked on the edge of the parking lot. The motel sat in between two large lots of vacant land which were both dark. I figured Arden would want to stretch his legs and I had felt guilty that he had spent most of the trip in the back of the car. Sam looked back at Arden. “After we get in the room. But we have to be careful. Motels typically don’t like dogs.” 

“Well Arden’s no dog.” 

Sam just chuckled with me. Soon Dean came out of the office and straight to the Impala. He climbed in and said, “got it. Complete with couch. Second floor. Cameras are busted thankfully so we’re offgrid, for once.” 

We climbed out of the car and I let Arden out from the backseat. He stayed close as I grabbed my backpack, foregoing the suitcase since I figured we were only getting some sleep. Dean had also explained earlier, in passing really, that they’ve been ambushed in motels before.  _ I can sleep in jeans for the night _ , I reasoned. We walked towards the stairs as we kept watch of the office, trying to make sure we didn’t have eyes on us. 

Dean opened up the room and I was hit with the tackiest motel room I may have ever seen. The walls were beige but the floral bedspread and shag carpet clashing made it all the more unappealing. Still we were all exhausted and it would have to do. 

“Alright, Rae, pick a bed.” Dean said with a yawn. 

I threw my bag onto the queen sized bed closer to the back wall and slumped onto it. Sam put his own duffel bag on the other bed and took off his jacket. “What do you think you doing?” Dean asked suddenly. 

I sat up to watch Sam reply, “I put my bag down.” 

“On my bed.” 

Sam rolled his eyes while I raised my eyebrow to Dean. “Come on. Can’t you sleep on the couch?” He said gesturing towards the couch sitting at the back of the room. It too had an ugly, flora spread. 

“I want the bed.” Dean protested. 

I huffed. “Dean, come on. Sam slept on my floor last night. Let him have it.” 

They both stared at me at my sudden outburst. As amusing as their bickering was, I was having none of it that night. Dean only grumbled and went to the couch. I kicked off my shoes as Sam whispered, “thanks.” 

…

  
  


I woke to Arden’s cold nose nudging my bare foot. I blinked a few times and looked over to the alarm clock on the side table next to me. It was just past six thirty. I threw the covers over my head and groaned. Then I heard another groan and familiar laugh. I sat up and saw Dean still laying on the couch, clearly as tired as I was, while Sam packed up his bag with a smile. 

I stared daggers at him. “What the hell are you laughing at?” 

“Nothing.” Still he had that stupid smirk on his face. I looked up at Arden, who was sprawled out on the other side of my bed. He just looked at me with a little glint of mischief. Like he was in on the same joke as Sam. 

I huffed a little and tore off my covers. I walked towards the bathroom and gave a Dean a once over. He was now sitting up with his hands in his face.  _ He looks worse than me. That’s what he gets for trying to give Sam the slip both nights for the better sleeping accommodations. _ I thought. 

I used the restroom and stared at myself in the mirror. I splashed some water in my face as I took a look at my bed head. I pulled the hair tie out of my hair and brushed through it with my fingers. Deciding on throwing my hair into a ponytail I walked out of the bathroom. 

In under a half hour of waking, we were on the road. Sam, being an early riser apparently, went out and got us all coffee and breakfast sandwiches from a fast food place down the street. We all ate happily as the Impala took to the road again. 

After finishing my breakfast, I decided to pull out the family Grimoire, suddenly determined to begin my reading of it. “Whatcha reading?” Dean asked from the driver's seat. 

“It’s my family’s Grimore. I figured I would get a head start on reading the damn thing.” 

“Mind letting me take a look at it when we get the chance? Could help us with your witch problem.” Dean asked. 

I raised an eyebrow. “You read?” I asked dryly. 

Sam laughed a little at that. Dean continued, “yes, I read. It’s in the job description.” 

I nodded as I was scanning the eldest pages of the book. “Just teasing Dean.” 

“That things huge, how much info is in there?” 

“Several Generations worth.” 

Sam glanced back at me. “How old is it?” 

“Older than the state of California. It was started when my family migrated to Whale Point. Though the actual book itself is probably over fifty.” 

Dean had raised eyebrows as he watched the road. “Really?” 

“Yeah.” I said nonchalantly. After that, conversation seemed to trail off as we made our way down the road closer and closer to Denver. 

…

We stopped at a Diner for lunch. Picking a booth in the corner, although I was a little worried for Arden as we let him out to the woods behind the diner to stretch and wait for us. 

After ordering, I started getting antsy about our unplanned stop. “So what’s the case in Denver?” 

“Our friend Jody called us. She initially went in for a possible werewolf.” 

“Werewolf. Okay. How did she figure that out?” I asked while swallowing my assumption that werewolves weren’t real. 

“Two bodies had been found with their hearts ripped out, both during the last full moon cycle.” Sam turned around his lap top to show me. There were a few articles showcasing the murders from about a month ago. 

Dean, who was sitting next to Sam, asked, “why are you so interested?” 

“Curious I guess. I know so much about Wicca and magic. Monsters, Demons, and all that are still pretty new.” I then asked Sam, “so why did Jody call you two?” 

“Turns out however, there were strange carvings in both of the vics.” 

“Carvings?” I asked excitedly. 

Sam turned the laptop back around, “yeah, it’s ritualistic. It’s obviously more complicated than a regular werewolf kill.” 

Dean nodded, “they tend to just want hearts. Their messy…” he trailed off as the waitress refilled my cup of coffee. 

As soon as she walked out of ear shot, I said, “so two bodies without hearts and carvings. Any connection between the vics?” 

“We’ll find out once we get with Jody. Hopefully her connections will get us in the morgue to take a real look at the symbols.” 

I thought for a moment. Then I pulled out my back pack and reached for the Grimoire. I set it down on the table and started flipping through. “Whatcha looking for?” Dean asked. 

“My grandmother specialized in rituals and sigil making. She studied several examples from many cultures and came pretty close to mastering them. Her chapter might have something about a ritual involving hearts.” 

“You think it might be a witch?” Sam asked. 

“It’s possible, but I wouldn’t  _ know _ until we compare them to it.” I continued passing pages until I found her section. I began reading as the table got quiet. 

Soon enough the waitress brought our plates. Dean with a full plate of waffles, Sam with an egg white and spinach omelette, and scrambled eggs and bacon for me. I kept looking through her notes as I ate, being careful not to get any crumbs on the pages, as Dean’s cell phone rang. 

With a smile and a mouth half full of waffle, he answered, “hey Jody.” Sam and I both watched his expression go from content to concern as he said, “another body?”   
  


…

Despite the bickering about what they were going to do with me, we arrived in Denver much earlier than expected. We stopped at the side of the road just outside of town so Sam and Dean could change into their suits. 

We met with Jody just a block away from the crime scene. “Your hunter friend’s a sheriff?” I asked as we got out of the Impala. I threw on my jean jacket as the evening breeze started to pick up and we walked towards a short and dark haired woman standing next to her truck. 

Dean and Sam chuckled a little at my question as they started their greetings. She hugged them both and smiled. “I’m happy to see you two.” 

Sam then said, “Jody, this is Rae.” 

She smiled at me as we shook hands. “Nice to meet you.” I said. 

Jody then asked, “I thought you guys said you had  _ two _ extra passengers?” 

“That’s my brother.” I said as I chuckled nervously, “check out the backseat.” 

Her eyes grew wide as she saw Arden stick his head out the window. “Is that a…” 

“Yeah. He’s friendly I promise, we’re still figuring all of this out.” 

Sam then looked at his watch. “We’ll tell you over dinner, but-“ 

“Right the Vic. Follow me.” 

We all climbed into our respective vehicles and were at the scene in less than a few minutes. Dean turned around and tossed me the keys. “Lock up after we leave. Wave us down if there’s trouble.” He got out, but Sam stayed a minute longer. 

“Won’t be long, but uhh...you good to use that gun if you need to?” 

I nodded, “yeah, but I thought Demons can be stopped by regular bullets.” 

“No, but it can slow’em down. Though I doubt they would bother you out in the open like this.” He got out a second later, but waved to me as he walked off. I smiled a little at the gesture, but frowned at the thought of the bullets.  _ Only slow them down _ ? 

…

After gathering what information at the crime scene that they could, which was clearly a dump sight, we all went to Jody’s motel, where we regrouped and ordered pizza. We were sitting at her table while discussing the strange carvings on the bodies. 

“It could be part of a ritual. The corner said they were made before they died.” Jody said as she logged onto her laptop. 

“So we could add torture to this guys list. Wonderful.” I said dryly as I jotted down some notes in my book of shadows. I had been writing them as I had gone through my grandmother’s studies that she documented in the family Grimoire, trying to find anything that could match the ritualistic killings. So far I had nothing. 

Sam, on his own laptop, said, “it points towards witch, but there’s no hex bags or any victim connections. It’s all random.” 

“Okay, they took two last month, and one body has dropped. I think we can assume there’s going to be another one. And soon.” Dean said opening another beer. 

“Which means that the trail’s going cold.” I remarked. 

Sam sighed, then said. “There has to be something we missed.” 

“I’ll send you the crime photos of the markings. We can start there at least.” Jody said. 

We kept going back and forth while staring at the images of carved skin. Despite their concerned looks, I studied them as well. Trying to find anything that could help the case. The pizza arrived and we were half way through it when Sam finally found something. 

“Hey Dean?” He asked. “Recognize this one?” 

Dean looked at Sam’s laptop and they both had concern written over their faces. Then they looked up at me. “What?” I asked. 

Sam grimaced at his brother as they silently argued, before he huffed and turned the screen around. One of the victims had a distinct symbol carved into their sternum, and next to said picture, was a spray painted version of the symbol over a wall stained with smoke. My heart dropped. 

“Is that…” I trailed off. Not sure what to say. 

“What is it?” Jody asked. 

“That wall is my mom’s shop. A witch went there, killed my parents, and burnt it down.” I said quietly, still staring at the images. By then, Dean had gotten up and started gathering things. 

“You are taking them outta here.” Dean said as he tossed Sam the keys. 

“What? No.” I said and stood myself. “We don’t even know it’s her.” 

“It’s a signature. And the dates line up.” He said firmly. “I promised to protect you and that’s what I’m doing. You. Sam, and Arden are getting in the Impala and head to the bunker. Jody and I will gank the bitch.” 

Anger started to burn in my skin. “What about Crowley?” 

“Crowley’s involved?” Jody asked with a voice that reminded me of my own mother. Protective and angry. 

Sam started to explain, “he said that there’s this Prophecy-“ 

“He says only an Everston can kill this witch. And last I checked Dean, you weren’t one.” I said. “ _ I _ have to deal with this. We’re staying.” 

“The hell you aren’t-“ 

“Dean-“ Sam protested for me. Though Dean ignored us and gathered things faster. 

“This is  _ my _ problem, Dean.” I practically growled. “I’m grateful that you guys took us in, but  _ my _ family did something to her years ago, and I need to fix it. If not for my family, but for my brother. If she’s here, I need to be the one to stop her. If you find her, even if she’s here, you have no idea whether or not she would die. Hell, you might even get killed.” 

The protectiveness in his eyes were fierce as he listened to me. Still he wanted to argue, “Rae I can’t let you-“ 

“Don’t. I already have three people dead because of me. I’m not about to add to that list. We’re staying. We’re going to figure this out. And if Ayllith is really here, we need a plan.” 

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife as I stared right into Dean’s eyes. It was the first time I had noticed they were a bright green.  _ Pretty for a rough around the edges kind of guy _ . Still, I stared him down, daring him to try to get me to leave. 

Dean finally sighed and put the things back. He grabbed his jacket and went out of the room without another word. I closed my eyes in frustration and looked at Sam and Jody. They both looked concerned. Then Sam rose from his seat. “I’ll go talk to him.” 

He soon followed his brother. I looked down at my own, who was sitting and watching me now. “Was I too harsh?” I asked. 

“Frankly,” Jody started to answer, “I think you were in the right.” 

I raised my eyebrows. “Really?” 

She  turned towards me in her seat. “There’s clearly a connection, but having Dean go in blindly and half cocked isn’t an ideal plan.” 

I slumped onto the bed behind me. A few tears escaped my eyes. “I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me.” I rested my hands in my face as a few more fell. I barely made a sound as Arden sat near me and put his head in my lap. Soon Jody sat next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

“Sweetheart, I can't say what will happen, but it’s not easy to get these boys killed. Let me tell you, they’ve been to hell and back, if there was anyone to go after this witch other than you...they would be a good bet.” 

I looked up at her. “It’s insane. These last few weeks have been the most insane of my life. And it’s only going to get worse isn’t it?” 

She pulled me to her and I cried into her shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay.” She cooed. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.” She held me as a few quiet sobs escaped my throat. 

…

The boys didn’t return for some time. It took long enough where I started to worry that I pissed Dean off enough for them to abandon me. Thankfully, they knocked on Jody’s door and came in. 

Both Dean and Sam seemed to have calmed down since the fight, but still I avoided Deans eyes. Sam then announced, “we got the room next door.” 

I nodded and got up from my seat to grab my bag, but Jody stopped me, “you know what...you can bunk with me tonight. I’m sure you all would like a break from each other.” She said with a smile. 

I smiled back, and said, “you guys mind?” 

“Not at all.” Sam said for the both of them. He started gathering his research supplies as Dean went and grabbed another few beers. 

Then I watched him leave the room with a “goodnight,” Thrown over his shoulder. I glanced at Jody, which she responded with a shrug. Then she went to the bathroom to begin getting ready for bed. 

I looked at Sam and asked, “How bad is it?” 

His eyebrows furrowed. “What is?” 

“Dean’s anger at me?” I asked quietly. 

Sam gave me one of his puppy eyed looks.  _ Damn, I’m starting to like those puppy dog eyes _ . I thought to myself as he said, “he’s not mad at you. Just...the situation is getting to all of us. He actually thinks  _ you're _ mad at him.” 

I raised my eyebrows at that. “No...no. I...errr.” I took a breath, trying to compose myself. “I’m not mad at him, I just...he jumped to conclusions so quickly. He wanted to throw us in the car, no questions asked. I don’t work like that. I got scared. So I...when I get scared, I get angry and stubborn.” I furrowed my own eyebrows at that. “I didn’t mean make him upset…” I trailed off. Not sure what else to say. 

Then Sam approached me a little and pressed his hand to my shoulder, gently smiling, “it’s okay. Just get some sleep and we’ll get a game plan tomorrow. Okay?” 

“Okay.” 

...   
  


I was on the beach. My beach. All was quiet in the night air. The stars were shining down, and the moon was in a waxing crescent. Standing there with my toes in the sand, I noticed I was in a long white dress that I wore for rituals. I smiled at the comforting thought. 

Suddenly I heard a crack of thunder. I turned and looked up at the looming cliff that I once called home. Dark storm clouds were in the sky, threatening it. The once comforting sound of waves turned violent as they thrashed along the shore, growing closer and closer to me. 

Faintly I could also hear a buzzing. It started out faint, but grew. Soon enough it was blaring at me. I covered my ears trying to drown the sound out. I nearly keeled over as intense pain in my head started, and the wind whipped around me from the storm. All my senses grew to focus on one thing. The incessant buzzing. 

“Stop!” I pleaded. “Stop it please!” 

There was a flash of light and I felt my back make contact with the sand behind me as flashes of images came to my mind. The same three over and over again, appearing before me and quickly disappearing into the sequence. Again and again, and again as I just stared in terror. The buzzing never left my ears. 

I woke in a cold sweat and sat up in the motel bed. I pantted as I was startled from the unfamiliarity of the surroundings, until a moment later when I realized where I was. I threw the covers off me as I swung my feet to the carpeted floor. 

_ The dreams are starting again _ . I thought as I tried to control my breathing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more Black Lives Matter resources: https://blacklivesmatter.com/

**Author's Note:**

> I’m a newbie at this fandom. But oh so excited for Sam/Rae


End file.
